My experiments with cheap P-basses

[Schpeaker]

I've never understood why people will spend 4 figures on pedals, more on their amp, then want to cheap out on their instrument, the one thing that should be with them for decades.

Ah yes, the eternal mystery of why other people aren’t as enlightened as me.

Why would you assume that anyone looking for an affordable instrument has spent 4 figures on pedals and more on their amp? Maybe they haven't.

Or maybe they are looking for a spare instrument that they are not anxious about bumping around (which was the stated premise of this thread).

Or maybe it's both. The performative bewilderment in your post was directed against an artificial strawman.

 

[TDR1138]

I’ve had three Affinity basses. Started with a P, traded locally for a J, and traded that locally for a different P. Coincidentally they were all 2005 models. All were great for the price, played well after a little setup work, sounded pretty decent.

The P that I currently have is probably the worst of the three, or I should say, required the most work to get it playing well. I replaced the post with some 250k full-sized Alphas. They have a smoother taper, and dropping from the stock 500k took some of the brashness out of the pickup, smoothed it out tonally a little. I added threaded inserts to the neck bolts because the neck kept shifting in the pocket towards the G side. Probably had taken a hit at some point and I didn’t feel like the factory neck bolts were holding tight. The neck itself required a fair amount of adjustment on the truss rod, and actually I had to add a couple of washers under the nut to get it straight enough. Even still, it’s basically at the end of its adjustment range with a set of D’Addario XL 45-100s. I won’t go heavier. I did have Labella LTFs on for a while and it played amazingly well, but I eventually decided that I wanted some roundwound strings instead. And the obvious cosmetic changes of pickguard and knobs.

 

[UNICORN BASS]

After reading this thread i think i agree with a lot of you that most of the new era Squiers are really good. When i say new era i mean anything that came out of China (1999>), Indonesia, etc. Up to and including todays instruments. I personally think the early MIC stuff was good but sometimes hit and miss. MII stuff seemed hit and miss also at the beginning but matured into a good line of basses. Of course the first run of MIC 60's vibe basses are becoming legendary, 2010 - 2015 or so? I can't really keep track of the way production has been flipping around in the last ten years but i was really impressed when i checked out the MIC affinity line a few years back, i think they are back in Indonesia now, and cost more than $199! Good times for the affordable bass!

 

[Chillgaze_Jun]

I've never understood why people will spend 4 figures on pedals, more on their amp, then want to cheap out on their instrument, the one thing that should be with them for decades.

Like it or not the reality is that unlike amps and pedals which require complex curcuits and all sorts of r&d a quality electric instrument is something that is extremely simple to produce with knowledge thats widely available. You get together some decent wood, hardware and electronics along with people whom take pride in what they produce and it's easy to achieve a quality instrument at a lower price point that is only limited by the skill of the person actually playing it. Squiers from 2023-2024 produced in the Chinese Grand Reward factory match and in some cases surpass the tonal character, fit and finish, durability and attention to detail of certain US manufacturers with cult like followings whom to this day will charge you $2000+ for a crooked off center single coil, bubbly finishes, just an overall questionable attention to detail that you pay a premium for, that I dont understand and ultimately I am proud to play instruments that directly reflect the pride that manufacturer took when building it, regardless of price point.

 

[micguy]

If tight spaces is part of your challenge, a short scale with a 2+2 headstock is considerably shorter than a Fender with their ginormous 4 on a side headstock. You'd be amazed how many less things you will bump into with a shorter instrument.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Ah yes, the eternal mystery of why other people aren’t as enlightened as me.

Why would you assume that anyone looking for an affordable instrument has spent 4 figures on pedals and more on their amp? Maybe they haven't.

Or maybe they are looking for a spare instrument that they are not anxious about bumping around (which was the stated premise of this thread).

Or maybe it's both. The performative bewilderment in your post was directed against an artificial strawman.

You miss my point. Your instrument is your tool, and can stay with you as long as you play. Yes, you can get a cheaper playable instrument. You can also buy a couple of Joyo pedals, and a Rumble amp.

Most professional musicians, be it rock, jazz, bluegrass, classical etc. Will play the best instrument they can afford. Ask a violinist or string bassist in any orchestra what they paid (try not to choke). They generate one GOOD instrument.

Of course anyone can play whatever they want, and of course it's my opinion.

 

[buldog5151bass]

So will a good bass make cheap pedals sound better? Or do good pedals make a cheap bass sound better?
Or does a good bass sound good on its own without any pedals?

A good instrument will sound better, play easier, and last longer. I've had my main bass for 40+ years, my acoustic guitar almost 50. My wife has had her violin almost 55 (and it is over 100 years old).

 

[DJ Bebop]

2025 Fender Player II Precision Limited-Edition Bass - $739
Great fit, finish and tonality.
I'm very pleased with this cheap bass.
View attachment 7345537

Wave Storm?

 

[Gino t]

other affordable, budget minded, entry level basses i've had and found playable or better (or their guitars): rondo music/Agile, guitar fetish

 

[MechaSparky]

Then it wasn’t too long! I found out there was a tldr by getting blurry brain reading it and deciding to scan to the bottom, and there it was. That’s how you find out it was too long, plus “didn’t read” is in the past tense.

It was a guilty pleasure read from this p-bass lover, I admit.

 

[ahbradot]

2025 Fender Player II Precision Limited-Edition Bass - $739
Great fit, finish and tonality.
I'm very pleased with this cheap bass.

Wave Storm?

You certainly know the Boards

 

[Ritter667]

A good instrument will sound better, play easier, and last longer. I've had my main bass for 40+ years, my acoustic guitar almost 50. My wife has had her violin almost 55 (and it is over 100 years old).

A great instrument will sound great regardless of price.

It might be a considerably more of gamble buying relatively cheap basses, by the randomness of choice of specific pieces of wood used and typically lacking quality control, and plain luck of how well the general finish is, unless you can try them out personally first.

Upgrade the electronics of a great cheap budget bass and you got a bass that can compete with some of the upper tier ones, playability and sound wise at least.

As someone who have owned both expensive basses and cheap, I can attest that some of my cheap budget basses are fully on par with some of the expensive basses I've owned.

The absolute worst piece of absolute crap bass I've ever owned happens to be the most expensive one too, so there is that.

My current main cheap budget bass, made on the Cort factory in Indonesia, that is essential stock, is fully on par with my favorites of the more expensive basses I've owned.

Acoustic instruments I'd imagine is a somewhat different story.

 

[blr2]

Most professional musicians, be it rock, jazz, bluegrass, classical etc. Will play the best instrument they can afford. Ask a violinist or string bassist in any orchestra what they paid (try not to choke). They generate one GOOD instrument.

True. For that people the instrument is a tool, and like any professional they will want the best possible tool. For the rest of us it's a hobby, to which only certain amount of financial resources can be allocated.

 

[Ritter667]

You miss my point. Your instrument is your tool, and can stay with you as long as you play. Yes, you can get a cheaper playable instrument. You can also buy a couple of Joyo pedals, and a Rumble amp.

Most professional musicians, be it rock, jazz, bluegrass, classical etc. Will play the best instrument they can afford. Ask a violinist or string bassist in any orchestra what they paid (try not to choke). They generate one GOOD instrument.

Of course anyone can play whatever they want, and of course it's my opinion.

There are also those professional musicians who proudly will rock entry level instruments.

Yes, they are a minority, but they do exist.

Again with acoustic instruments I'd gather the story might be somewhat different.

 

[blr2]

And let's not forget that some professional musicians are collectors as well.

 

[DJ Bebop]

2025 Fender Player II Precision Limited-Edition Bass - $739
Great fit, finish and tonality.
I'm very pleased with this cheap bass.

You certainly know the Boards

They hold a warm place in my heart

We would vacation in Hawaii with my grandson since before he was born. One year he was about 9, out of the blue he said he wanted to learn to surf. A fellow that was staying at our hotel was coming in from an afternoon of surfing and Keoni, my grandson hopped on his board started paddling around on it. Andrew asked him if he wanted to learn to surf! The thing we were just talking about

So Andrew pulled him out and pushed him in on a couple of rollers, both times he got up. The third one he paddled in on himself. The next day we rented him a Wavestorm

What tripped us out was, he had been watching and was already knee paddling out like the big boys.

His first time up, notice he is wearing a mask as he was diving before this.

The Wave Storm in question

Like a pro, the next day

Sorry for the derail, but it brings back good memories.

“Memories!”

Back on topic, cheap P bass with cat…

 

[TheArchitect]

A quick jump back on topic, Do people find that flats are less sensitive to the instrument they are on than rounds? In other words do rounds tend to sound good on a broader range of instruments, possibly even less high end than rounds do?

 

[DJ Bebop]

A quick jump back on topic, Do people find that flats are less sensitive to the instrument they are on than rounds? In other words do rounds tend to sound good on a broader range of instruments, possibly even less high end than rounds do?

Flats have less high end than rounds do. Flats may sound the same over different basses whereas rounds may expose more differences in basses because of the fidelity of the round wounds clarity.

I guess that is what you are asking?

 

[UNICORN BASS]

My go to lately is my MIK Cort P style bass. Has a tilt neck, decent hardware, lots of fading white paint, and MOJO! Despite having a laminated wood body it plays and sounds awesome with 50-105 Fender flats. This bass cost me $65 big ones at a local pawn shop.

 

[TheArchitect]

View attachment 7346272

Flats have less high end than rounds do. Flats may sound the same over different basses whereas rounds may expose more differences in basses because of the fidelity of the round wounds clarity.

I guess that is what you are asking?

Basically, yes